Montse Balbuena | Graphic & Interactive Designerhttp://www.montsebalbuena.com
Online portfolio of Montse Balbuena, graphic and interactive designer currently based in Australia. Browse around to see my work.Tue, 10 Jul 2018 10:49:41 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.11The Future Belongs to the Curioushttp://www.montsebalbuena.com/the-future-belongs-to-the-curious
Tue, 10 Jul 2018 10:33:25 +0000http://www.montsebalbuena.com/?p=1242Gemma O’Brien is an Australian artist and designer specialising in lettering, illustration and typography. She’s has done stunning work with Apple, Adobe, Qantas, Volcom, The New York Times, etc.

She creates hand-lettering or custom typography for commercial clients, but also creates more conceptual personal work, hosts workshops across Australia and speaks at design conferences. I’m a huge fan, in particular of her large-scale painted work.

In the last five years there’s been a real typography boom, both inside and outside the design spheres. Especially the craft side: letterpress printing, hand-rendered lettering, sign painting, calligraphy and brushwork are all back in the spotlight.

The Montreal Design Declaration was a milestone marking the launch of a collaborative effort to utilise the potential of design for all, and concludes: “All people deserve to live in a well-designed world.”

The Declaration defines the Value of Design through 8 bold propositions:

Design is a driver of innovation and competition, growth and development, efficiency and prosperity.

Design is an agent for sustainable solutions.

Design expresses culture.

Design adds value to technology.

Design facilitates change.

Design introduces intelligence to cities.

Design addresses resiliency and manages risk.

Design fosters development.

]]>Book Suggestion: Sprinthttp://www.montsebalbuena.com/book-suggestion-sprint
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 09:27:51 +0000http://www.montsebalbuena.com/?p=1189
Whenever we start a new project or need to solve a problem at work, we all have ideas. Sometimes those ideas are good, sometimes they are bad, sometimes they are risky, etc.
We all want our ideas to succeed, but how to know if they’ll give us good results or even if they’re worth our efforts and time? That’s the challenge.

I’ve been designing websites and applications for a decade and projects can take 1, 2, 6 months or even a year to see the light of day. So, the idea of testing ideas in just five days sounded really attractive.

Jake Knapp and the Google Ventures team did a great job with this book, presenting a solid alternative to the traditional way of building products, testing ideas and even the way we think about team work.

Here’s how the Sprint process works:

Monday: Set a Target
Where to focus your sprint? where you have the biggest opportunity to do something great and perhaps the greatest risk of failure.

Tuesday: Sketch Ideas
Sketching is the fastest and easier way to transform abstract ideas into concrete solutions. Once your ideas become concrete, they can be critically and fairly evaluated by the rest of the team.

Wednesday: Pick a Solution
In the real world, the creators won’t be there to give sales pitches and clues. In the real world, the ideas will have to stand on their own.

Thursday: Build a Prototype
We’ve found that if you only build a façade, you can get to 90 percent on day one. You want your customers to react naturally and honestly. Their reactions are gold, but their feedback is worth pennies on the dollar.

Friday: Test Your Prototype
There’s this gap between the vision and the customer, to make the two fit, you have to talk to people.

I can’t believe it’s July already, aka we started a new financial year in Australia and the coldest days of winter are around the corner. The last 6 months have been an interesting ride; I moved to my new apartment, work has kept me busy and I traveled quite a bit earlier this year, but thankfully I’ve found some free time to enjoy these good books:

January 2017:Loitering by Charles D’Ambrosio (2014)
“Self-consciousness has been long in me, so like a lot of writers I not only do a thing, I see myself doing it too – it’s almost like not being alone.”

February 2017:Demystifying Public Speaking by Lara Hogan (2016)
“I want to help you learn about what you bring to public speaking: your expertise, your style, your fears, your strengths.”

March 2017:Just Enough Research by Erika Hall (2013)
“For a design to be successful, it must serve the needs and desires of actual humans. Strangely, simply being human is insufficient for understanding most of our fellows.”

April 2017:Jony Ive by Leander Kahney (2014)
“Reduce and simplify? This wasn’t typical tech industry happy talk. In releasing new products, companies tended to add more bells and whistles, not take them away, but here Jony was saying the opposite. Not that simplifying was a new approach; it’s Design School 101.

May 2017:Don’t Make me Think by Steve Krug (2014)
“Usability is about people and how they understand and use things, not about technology. And while technology often changes quickly, people change very slowly.”

June 2017:The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornick (2001)
“Egypt was a country of indiscriminate expressiveness overflowing its own margins. My book does this curious thing: it mimics Egypt itself. That is its strength and its limitation.”

]]>November Favouriteshttp://www.montsebalbuena.com/november-favourites
Thu, 24 Nov 2016 12:40:36 +0000http://www.montsebalbuena.com/?p=1086Christmas is just around the corner so I couldn’t resist sharing a few of my November favourites with you, inspired by this fun time of the year. See what I’ve been loving lately…

MOMENT: This pink and blue sky was pretty stunning!

PLACE: Roma Street Parkland – One of my favourite spots in the city

MUSIC: The Altar by Banks – so good!

BOOK: Mobile First by Luke Wroblewski

TECHNOLOGY: I’ve been pretty obsessed with these QC35 Bose headphones – no noise, no wires!

PRETTY THINGS: Daniel Wellington and UNIQLO

FOOD: Homemade tacos and guacamole. Yum! want the recipe to give it a try?

COFFEE: Santa Monica Express Cafe

Happy holiday season everyone, safe travels and I hope you make the most of the last few weeks of 2016!

Its Spring time now in Brisbane! the weather is nice, the days are getting longer and I’m pretty happy to share this year’s book review/list with you, I had such a great time reading each one of these wonderful books.
My book picks for 2014 and 2015 were a great starting point to get back into the habit and this year I decided to focus in Creativity, Design and Technology – some of my favourite topics! Here’s what I’ve been reading each month:

October 2015: Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf (2013)
As a designer working in an Agile environment, introducing Design Principles and UX concepts into the development process can be challenging. This book discusses useful techniques to introduce user experience, research and validation into the process in a collaborative approach.

November 2015: In Progress by Jessica Hische (2015)
This is a wonderful book. Jessica not only shares her inspiring work for our eyes to rejoice, but also a detailed description of her creative and technical process. A lettering artist that gracefully shares her well earned skills and passion for lettering in the most beautiful book.

December 2015: Hunger Makes me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein (2015)
You might recognise her name as the same girl behind Portlandia (writer, actress) and the Riot Grrrl band Sleater-Kinney. Carrie writes her memoir from the narrative of being an outsider, looking for her own voice and then about the pains behind finding it. Articulate, honest and FUNNY.

January 2016: Gamify by Brian Burke (2014)
This book cuts away the hype behind Gamification and makes sense of the key concepts and guidelines. Brian is an industry analyst in information technology with heaps of experience and this is great research-based material if you’re keen to give Gamification a go.

February 2016: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (2015)
As if writing a huge best seller (Eat, Pray, Love) wasn’t enough achievement! with Big Magic, Elizabeth writes passionately about Creative Living and the concepts behind it like Inspiration, Courage, Fear, Creative Entitlement and Enchantment. She encourages everyone to “Cooperate fully, humbly, and joyfully with inspiration.”

March 2016: The Shape of Designby Frank Chimero (2012)
Design comes in many shapes (and sizes, colours, objects and devices) and design’s primary job is to be useful, that’s clear. But as designers we will always ask: why not make it pleasurable too? “Do not make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both, do not hesitate to make it beautiful.”

April 2016: Fates and Furiesby Lauren Groff (2015)
My favorite book in a while! I loved the unusual structure of this story of a marriage and creative partnership told from both sides. This was Barack Obama’s favourite book of 2015 and with good reason! An amazing novel.

May 2016: Responsive Web Design by Ethan Marcotte (2011)
With Responsive Web Design, we have a great approach to tackle the unpredictability of devices, browsers, display resolutions and speed connections from where a user will access our websites and apps. With RWD we design with flexibility in mind and then relax and let our designs unfold.

June 2016: New Order, a Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folksby Fay Wolf (2016)
Whenever I work from home I need an orderly workspace. Otherwise, I would never get work done because I’d be busy doing laundry/the dishes/something else. This is a simple handbook to help remove the distractions/clutter in our lives. You know what they say “Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work!”

July 2016: Hooked by Nir Eyal (2014)
I enjoyed learning about the ‘Hooked’ model and how it is possible to create engaging products by aligning them to the user’s habits and behaviors. “New habits are sparked by external triggers, but associations with internal triggers are what keeps users hooked.”

August 2016: Jony Iveby Leander Kahney (2013)Jonathan Ive is called The Genius behind Apple’s greatest products with good reason. “Design had been a vertical stripe in the chain of events in a product’s delivery; at Apple, it became a long horizontal stripe, where design is part of every conversation.” Jony elevated our craft to a level it’s never been at before.

September 2016: Mobile First by Luke Wroblewski (2011)
When it comes to the web, people will use the closest device they can use to get what they need done. With this in mind Luke suggests to design with a Mobile First approach and embrace the constraints and benefits of designing for “one eyeball and one thumb” and after that, crafting an appropriate experience for desktop.

October 2016: Our Common Bond by Australian Government (2014)
Four years ago, my Design career got me in this beautiful country and now reading this book definitely gives me “the feels” and pass on the joy and pride in being Australian. I’ll obtain my citizenship in a few weeks and I am beyond excited to soon be able to call myself an Aussie, I can’t wait to keep exploring this path.

“And since creativity is still the most effective way for me to access wonder, I choose it. I choose to block out all the external (and internal) noise and distractions, and to come home again and again to creativity. ” – Big Magic

I hope you enjoyed my book picks this year! these definitely helped keep the creative juices flowing. Did you read any of these books and loved them too? Let me know!

Can you believe October is almost over? 2016 is already flying by.
That said, I’ve been very inspired by all things design and human achievement lately. Before you head out for a weekend of relaxation and rest, here are 15 of my favorite quotes to give you a little extra weekend inspiration:

• Love life and life will love you back.
• Enjoy the little things.
• Done is better than perfect.
• It always seems impossible until it is done.
• Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.
• Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step in your life.
• Creativity is intelligence having fun.
• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
• Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
• Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.
• If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.
• Never hold back from exploring the things that have the potential to make you immensely happy.
• A man’s feet must be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.
• Only the gentle are ever really strong.
• Great things never came from comfort zones.

Since I moved to Australia, I’ve met many people that don’t know where Guadalajara (my hometown) is. Mexico City & Tijuana may get the TV spotlight, Cancun & Cabo may get all the spring break glory; but there’s a lot happening in Mexico’s west coast during Summer.

Guadalajara is a unique city bursting with cool bars, seafood/mexican cuisine restaurants, amazing outdoor life and home of the best traditions. For me, July-September is the perfect period to visit this lively city, full of events, balmy weather, friendly faces and some of the best food in the world.

Here are SOME of my favourite places to eat/drink and some recommendations for things to do in Guadalajara!

WORKOUT
If you’re like me, you don’t spend much time working out on holidays but here are a few options if you are keen:
– Via Recreativa
– Parque Metropolitano
– Parque Colomos
– Bosque La Primavera

YOU CAN’T MISS
– A stroll around the Historic downtown, the oldest section of the city
– Jump into a guided tour bus “Tapatío Tour”
– Take the “Tequila Express” to the town where real Tequila is made
– Watch a Soccer game and cheer for “Las Chivas”
– Watch a “Lucha Libre” wrestling match at Arena Coliseo

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and will make you feel like a local once there, and if you’ve been to Guadalajara, tweet me what do you love most about the city!

Montse

Last August I traveled from Brisbane (AUS) to Guadalajara (MEX) for a 3-week holiday to visit my family and friends. It was a wonderful summer break with my loved ones around, too many planes, car rides and delicious food. I hope you enjoy the video above!

]]>Draw a line in the sandhttp://www.montsebalbuena.com/draw-a-line-in-the-sand
Sun, 19 Jun 2016 01:21:00 +0000http://www.montsebalbuena.com/?p=1018This is an excerpt from one of my favorite books: Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. If you haven’t read it, please do. It will definitely change the way you work. I’m sharing this because this topic has been a recurring discussion in my design career. I truly believe every company has a unique personality. No two companies are the same. When a company shows and defends its unique ideas it naturally stands out from the rest.

As you get going, keep in mind why you’re doing what you’re doing. Great businesses have a point of view, not just a product or service. You have to believe in something. You need to have a backbone. You need to know what you’re willing to fight for. And then you need to show the world.

A strong stand is how you attract superfans. They point to you and defend you. And they spread the word further, wider, and more passionately than any advertising could.

Strong opinions aren’t free. You’ll turn some people off. They’ll accuse you of being arrogant and aloof. That’s life. For everyone who loves you, there will be others who hate you. If no one’s upset by what you’re saying, you’re probably not pushing hard enough. (And you’re probably boring, too.)

Lots of people hate us because our products do less than the competition’s. They’re insulted when we refuse to include their pet feature. But we’re just as proud of what our products don’t do as we are of what they do.

We design them to be simple because we believe most software is too complex: too many features, too many buttons, too much confusion. So we build software that’s the opposite of that. If what we make isn’t right for everyone, that’s OK. We’re willing to lose some customers if it means that others love our products intensely. That’s our line in the sand.

When you don’t know what you believe, everything becomes an argument. Everything is debatable. But when you stand for something, decisions are obvious.

For example, Whole Foods stands for selling the highest quality natural and organic products available. They don’t waste time deciding over and over what’s appropriate. No one asks, “Should we sell this product that has artificial flavors?” There’s no debate. The answer is clear. That’s why you can’t buy a Coke or a Snickers there.

This belief means the food is more expensive at Whole Foods. Some haters even call it Whole Paycheck and make fun of those who shop there. But so what? Whole Foods is doing pretty damn well.

Another example is Vinnie’s Sub Shop, just down the street from our office in Chicago. They put this homemade basil oil on subs that’s just perfect. You better show up on time, though. Ask when they close and the woman behind the counter will respond, “We close when the bread runs out.”

Really? “Yeah. We get our bread from the bakery down the street early in the morning, when it’s the freshest. Once we run out (usually around two or three p.m.) we close up shop. We could get more bread later in the day, but it’s not as good as the fresh-baked bread in the morning. There’s no point in selling a few more sandwiches if the bread isn’t good. A few bucks isn’t going to make up for selling food we can’t be proud of.”

Wouldn’t you rather eat at a place like that instead of some generic sandwich chain?